By By Todd Thompson, Hartselle Enquirer
The Hartselle Galaxy hope that a weekend filled with three soccer matches and one friendly will result in a state championship this weekend in the Alabama Sports Festival in Birmingham.
Hartselle Galaxy will compete in the four-team field against Bullets SC, Coosa Chivas and Hoover Phantom Blue.
The Galaxy open with an 11:30 a.m. matchup Saturday at Riverchase Sports Park. The team will also face Bullets SC at 3 p.m.
The team will wrap up the tournament with a game Sunday morning against Coosa Chivas.
The Alabama Sports Festival is celebrating its 26th consecutive year for the games that rotate between Huntsville, Mobile and Birmingham. The games open with the traditional Olympic-style march of athletes and the lighting of the Festival’s ceremonial flame.
There will be representatives from all across Alabama in events such as baseball, softball, archery, swimming, diving, gymnastics, soccer, tennis, wrestling, track and field, cycling, and basketball among others.
Medals are awarded based on points earned in the tournament. Teams receive six points for a win and three for a tie. Additionally, teams can earn one point for a shutout and one point for each goal scored in a game with a limit of three points.
Players from Hartselle’s AYSO U-12 state championship team, along with players from two other teams, will face teams from across the state.
Members of the Hartselle Galaxy team are Forrest Anders, Lance Campbell, Ian Cummins, Jacob Kent, Tate Mathis, Adam Mills, Brad Nix, Ethan Partlow, Jacob Pohl, Josh Pohl, Mitchell Poole, Bobby Puckett, Cayce Stewart and Blaine Williams.
The coaching staff includes Kent and assistants Ron Puckett and Paul Cummins.
The festival features 19 sports: archery, baseball, basketball, bowling, cycling, disc golf, diving, flag football, gymnastics, shooting sports, soccer, softball, swimming, taekwondo, tennis, track &field, triathlon, indoor volleyball and wrestling.
The ASF’s opening ceremonies will be broadcast live on WAFF-48 in Huntsville at 7 p.m. Friday.